The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has just taken a major hit in its administrative budget, with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) slashing more than $180 million in contracts in just 48 hours—including nearly $170,000 earmarked for a museum exhibit honoring Anthony Fauci.
DOGE, the cost-cutting powerhouse led by billionaire Elon Musk, made the announcement on social media, detailing that the contracts were purely administrative and had no impact on healthcare programs. “These contracts were entirely for administrative expenses—none touched any healthcare programs. This included terminating a $168,000 contract for an Anthony Fauci exhibit at the NIH Museum.”
For anyone paying attention to the Trump administration’s spending overhaul, this is just the latest example of the aggressive push to eliminate bureaucratic waste. In recent weeks, DOGE has already announced plans to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implement sweeping cuts at the U.S. Treasury Department, targeting over $100 billion in entitlement payments to individuals without Social Security numbers. The agency’s reach is expanding quickly, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that no federal department is immune from scrutiny.
In the past 48 hours, HHS canceled 62 contract worth $182 million. These contracts were entirely for administrative expenses – none touched any healthcare programs. This included terminating a $168,000 contract for an Anthony Fauci exhibit at the NIH Museum. pic.twitter.com/EsZxflPS6w
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 7, 2025
The now-defunct Fauci exhibit was scheduled to be completed by July 2025, likely highlighting his long tenure in public health, his leadership at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and his role during the COVID-19 pandemic. But that showcase has been scrapped along with $182 million in other HHS administrative expenses.
And it’s no secret why. Fauci remains a deeply divisive figure, having clashed repeatedly with President Donald Trump throughout the pandemic. The former NIAID director and chief medical advisor became the government’s most visible spokesperson during COVID-19—praised by some as a voice of reason, condemned by others as the architect of lockdowns and mandates that upended American life.
Trump, for his part, has made it clear that Fauci’s taxpayer-funded perks will no longer continue under his administration. Just last month, he revoked Fauci’s government-provided security detail, which had been granted in 2020 when Fauci was elevated to public prominence. “I think, you know, when you work for government, at some point your security detail comes off and, you know, you can’t have them forever,” Trump explained. “We took some off other people, too, but you can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you work for government.”
Adding another wrinkle to the story, Fauci was granted a preemptive pardon by former President Joe Biden on his last day in office—an unusual move meant to shield the longtime public health official from potential legal battles under Trump’s second term. While Fauci was never charged with a crime, the pardon suggests that Biden and his allies feared that Fauci’s actions during the pandemic could come under serious investigation.
Fauci’s career stretches back more than five decades. He joined the NIH in 1968 and later became a key figure in the government’s response to HIV/AIDS. But his legacy is now being rewritten by a public deeply divided over his pandemic leadership. For his supporters, he is a dedicated public servant who navigated an unprecedented crisis. For his detractors, he is the face of government overreach—mandates, shutdowns, and questionable public health policies that disrupted millions of lives.
Now, with the cancellation of his museum exhibit, it appears that the Trump administration has no intention of cementing Fauci’s legacy in taxpayer-funded bronze. Instead, his chapter in government history is being closed—budget cuts first, security details second, and, perhaps, deeper investigations still to come.
